BANGOR, Maine — Police officers arrested three people late last week on multiple charges, most of them involving drugs, after the vehicle the suspects were riding in was pulled over by a city bicycle patrol officer for a seat belt violation.
The chain of events that led to the arrests began about 10:30 p.m. Thursday when Officer Rob Angelo, who was on bike patrol, pulled a vehicle over near Leadbetter’s Mini Stop on Hammond Street for a seat belt violation, Lt. Tom Reagan said, citing police reports.
Angelo and fellow bike Officer Joe Page shortly afterward were joined by Officers Shawn Green and Ryan Jones.
Angelo noted that passenger Mary Ellen Giltner, 51, of Bangor was “doing something suspicious,” Reagan said, adding that the police reports indicated that she appeared to be stuffing a metal pill container on a key chain into her handbag.
When asked if she was trying to conceal anything, Giltner reportedly admitted she had Percocet tablets. She said she had a prescription for the painkillers but couldn’t produce one. She also refused to show the officers the pills. She reportedly had one in her hand at the time of the traffic stop and “threw it into her mouth” and swallowed it. She wound up under arrest on a charge of unlawful drug possession and destruction of physical evidence, Reagan said.
While searching the other occupants and the car itself, police officers found two Vicodin pills in the possession of Ronald J. Cote, 29, of Bangor, who was out on bail at the time for a prior unrelated arrest. Cote was arrested on charges of unlawful drug possession and violating the conditions of his release.
Officers also found several bags containing what appeared to be cocaine, which led to the arrest of Franz Morris, 46, of Tenants Harbor on a charge of unlawful trafficking in scheduled drugs, Reagan said.
All three suspects were taken to Penobscot County Jail. Giltner and Morris have been released on bail. Cote still was behind bars late Tuesday night.